What are the ESSENTIAL games on the PS5 so far, and coming up?

Hello everyone,

I've recently come into a bit of money and I'm buying a PS5 to treat myself.

What would you say I NEED to play?

Bear in mind I had a PS4 for most of the lifespan, and I played most of the "big" games on there.

I don't have any interest in the Last of Us games, but FF7 and FFXVI are particularly appealing

I would say almost nothing.

Most of the games I have loved on PS5 were cross gen. Assuming you've played Ragnarok and Forbidden West on PS4 (or don't want to) and that you don't have a Series X or a strong PC, here'd be my take.

Actual Must Play:

Astro's Playroom

Jeff Gerstmann's best game of 2020 is very very good. It's short and free so low investment and it makes a better case for the Dualsense than any game that's come out since.

Very Very Good:

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

If you like Ratchet and Clank this is probably the best one of those. I do like Ratchet and Clank, more than most, and I enjoyed this game a lot, but it's not really special IMO. It's just very good.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Basically the same, but for Insomniac Spider-Man games. It's great, and very technically impressive, but it's another Spider-Man game.

Cyberpunk 2077 in current state

I really like this game but it was unplayable on PS4, and it has been vastly improved and given a great expansion. Very much worth playing in 2024.

Others Love 'Em

Returnal

Some people adore this game. It's too brutal for me. I can see what they see in it but I had an okay time and then bailed.

Demon's Souls Remake

Samsies except I haven't even played it.

Hi-Fi Rush

Coming soon. This game I liked quite a bit but did not love. You might though. A character action game/3D platform blended with a rhythm game with great aesthetics. Yahtzee Croshaw's favorite of last year.

Deathloop

Cool idea, meh execution. An immersive sim/time loop game set on techbro island that has cool powers and boring AI plus too much repetition.

Jury's Still Out For Me

Baldur's Gate 3.

Haven't played it. Want to.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Started it, and it's slow going at first, but I'm not far in and it could turn out to be amazing. A lot of people love it so I'm still hoping that once I get out of the opening chapters it will pick up. I did really enjoy the part in the first chapter where you got to play instead of running around watching cut scenes.

For video game platforms in general, you have your choice to choose which games you would like to play, (Based on what sort of genre and sub-genres you like, regardless of their party).

I would say that if FF7s and XVI are both on your maybe list definitely go with Remake/Rebirth.

I love XVI, had a ton of fun with it.... Rebirth is kind of just a better execution on more or less everything they were going for.

If you have a PS5 and you are a human being playing on a console, there are some experiences that are JUST improved by playing them on PS5. I think there are many exclusives that are remakes and remasters that are extremely worthy, and given how people play games the whole catalog does count.

Its somewhat ironic that on the mast part gamer DEMAND that games near the new system launch appear on the old system to not cut people off. We get our panties in a bunch by games being "too exclusive", yet we demand that there be tons of games that can not be played anywhere else to "justify" our choice - it a no win situation.

So, look at the games available on PS5, then play what interest you no matter when or where it was originally created.

There are many great games on the PS5 but the vast majority are multiplatform. Even Returnal is on PC now. Closest thing I can think of is the Demon's Souls remake, but of course only if you're into the Souls games.

Spider-Man 2 was already mentioned, so I'll say Miles Morelas, the PS5s first graphic showcase. I haven't played Spider-Man 2 yet, but it seems to pick up where Morales left off. If you already played Marvel's Spider-Man, then it's well worth playing. It's not long and it has a great story. And it should be quite affordable these days.

I think an important question here is "do you already have a modern PC or Xbox Series console?". If you are coming from a PS4 and haven't played anything released in the last couple years that's exclusive to the new consoles or a PC with a newer GPU we're having a very different conversation than considering PS5 exclusives, which there are very few of.

Returnal is the best game I've played this generation, Miles Morales is also a ton of fun and not a massive time sink.

yeah, a bit difficult to make a clean rec given the crossgen nature of this era. but i really did love Returnal and Baldur's Gate 3.